1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capping device for an ink jet head recovery apparatus and an ink jet recorder including such an apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings shows the capping device of a conventional recovery apparatus for an ink jet head. The capping device can prevent the jet nozzle of the head 30 from drying and/or foreign matter from entering the nozzle. The device includes a cap 32 having a brim 33 for close contact with the vertical front surface 31 of the head 30. The cap brim 33 is rectangular, and has longer, substantially vertical sides and shorter horizontal sides. The longer sides of the brim 33 are narrow so as to be deformed easily when the cap 32 is pressed against the head surface 31. In order that the brim 33 may contact more closely with the head surface 31, the height H of the cap 32 at the middle of the longer sides of the brim is higher than its height h at their both ends. Such a cap is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-155753.
The cap 32 can also operate for the recovery apparatus for cleaning the head 30 so as to prevent it from being clogged with ink or to remove clogging ink, or for pumping ink into the head 30 when the ink cartridge is replaced. The middle of the cap 32 is higher not only to improve the closeness of contact of the cap with the head surface 31, but also to reduce the amount of air entrained when the cap is separated from the head 30.
In order to bring the cap 32 into close contact with the head surface 31, as shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 7, there is a need of great compressive force for pressing the cap until the cap brim 33 becomes flat. If the close contact with great compressive force is done frequently, the cap 32 may be deformed, so that its accuracy of close contact may become low.